


Monday to Sunday

by melecs



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Denial of Feelings, Fluff, M/M, Seven Days AU, feat. the rest of SVT, 中文翻译 | Translation in Chinese
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-20 19:48:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11928000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melecs/pseuds/melecs
Summary: With the school-wide reputation of a playboy, Choi Seungcheol dates the first person who confesses to him each Monday. When Jeonghan hears about this student, he’s immediately curious.Actually dating Seungcheol, however, could backfire in ways Jeonghan ever expected.





	1. Monday to Thursday

**Author's Note:**

> Back with the Jeongcheol lol I really love the dynamic of this pair and have a lot more planned for them. This fic is based on the Japanese BL film ‘Seven Days’ (the full thing’s on YouTube, I’d totally recommend it). I guess it was a manga too but idc haha I don’t follow the exact plotline of Seven Days here, but I tried to keep some iconic scenes alive. The title’s a reference to the iconic ‘Monday to Saturday,’ but it doesn’t work that well haha. The film is split into two parts, and I wanted to honor that here by creating two chapters :)  
> P.S. appearances by PRISTIN’s Nayoung and Minkyung because I’m obsessed with PRISTIN ok buy 'We Like' on iTunes
> 
> Chinese translation available here by anniestood: http://anniestood.lofter.com/post/1d3fc172_12c49d09

 

.

monday

.

 

“Wake up.”

Jeonghan takes a deep breath, opens his eyes. He wasn't sleeping, but he could have been if not for Joshua. “What?”

“Class hasn't even started and you're already passed out,” Joshua sighs and hits Jeonghan over the head with the nearest book.

Mondays are hard. They're the least gentle reminder that responsibility exists after a lazy weekend. And Jeonghan hasn’t noticed it before, but today there's a tense energy in the air. A few rows up, girls huddle around the window and share frantic whispers. “Is something happening today?”

“It's Monday,” Josh shrugs, “Seungcheol gets a new girlfriend today.”

Jeonghan has to be missing something. “Who?”

“Choi Seungcheol,” It's Nayoung's voice this time. She's calmer than the rest of the room, and sits next to Jeonghan. “Do you seriously not know our class president? He's the most eligible bachelor in school.”

Jeonghan laughs. He’s not sure what qualifies an 18-year-old as an ‘eligible bachelor.’ “That would actually be me. What's so special about this guy?”

“You wish,” Nayoung scoffs, “I can't believe you haven't heard about this. For two years now, girls ask Seungcheol out on Monday. And the first person who asks, Seungcheol says yes to no matter what. It's pretty much a school tradition.”

“Sounds like a man-whore.”

There's the book again, this time slapping Jeonghan's arm. “Dude, come on. He's smart, handsome, and popular; I'd take advantage of it, too, if I were him.”

“I already have,” Nayoung gets this grin on her face, “I dated him last spring. Best boyfriend ever.”

“Seriously?” Jeonghan can't decide if they're making this up or not. Josh would definitely prank him like this, but he and Nayoung actually respect each other. “You date for seven days and he just breaks up with you?”

Nayoung nods. “From Monday to Sunday. It's the perfect amount of time, you know? Just enough to imagine it's real, without getting too serious. And he's a perfect boyfriend.”

This is interesting. Jeonghan wants to know more. “How so?”

“He waits for you after class, walks you home, sends good-morning texts...”

“Wow, Jeonghan, you should take notes.” It's too early in the morning to deal with Joshua's antics.

The bell ringing makes all three of them jump, and the huddle of girls all scramble to find their seats. “I guess Seungcheol's late today,” Josh whispers as their teacher walks in, Jeonghan lays his head back on the desk. Naptime. “Oh, and could you stop by the dance studio before lunch?” He pokes Jeonghan with a pen cap, “Soonyoung took my English notes to copy and said he'd return them if I went to the studio, but I have to meet up with—”

 _“Shhh!”_ Jeonghan kicks him beneath the desk, “Fine, I'll go for you.”

Someday, he and Josh are going to get in trouble for talking in class. Fortunately, their teacher is as oblivious as ever, leaving Jeonghan to sleep in peace.

 

* * *

 

The dance studio is near the front of the school, a short walk from the parking lot. Jeonghan rushed here immediately after his last class ended, but the place is empty. He sits with his back against a mirror and the ugly uniform slacks against the scuffed-up floor.

When someone does arrive, it isn’t Soonyoung. It's a different male student Jeonghan has never seen before, and he’s handsome in a charming rich-kid sort of way. “Hey,” he greets Jeonghan in a deep voice, “You’re not Joshua.”

Jeonghan smiles at him. “You’re not Soonyoung.”

The student laughs. It’s a good laugh, Jeonghan thinks. “Soonyoung’s my VP. I have Joshua’s notes right here, though, don’t worry.”

He’s handsome, Jeonghan’s never seen him before, and he has a VP. This boy checks off all the boxes to be the class president. “You’re Choi Seungcheol?”

“That’s me,” Seungcheol says, “And you’re Yoon Jeonghan.”

“Wow, didn’t know I had an admirer,” He stands up, and they’re exactly the same height.

“I have to know everyone in our class by face,” he tells Jeonghan, reaching into the bag at his side to produce a crumpled mess of English notes.

As Jeonghan takes them, he asks, “So who’s your girlfriend for the week?” It’s meant to be mocking; Jeonghan thinks it’s dumb to break hearts on a regular schedule.

Still, Seungcheol answers him: “Don’t have one yet. I slept through my alarm, so I just got here like ten minutes ago.”

Something plants itself in Jeonghan’s brain then, the beginning of an idea. He tries not to concentrate on it, instead heading toward the studio door. “Shame.” Then the idea grows into a twisted hypothetical, and as they both approach the door, Jeonghan can’t stop himself from blurting out the idea: “How about you go out with me?”

The shock on Seungcheol’s face is enough to make him smile. “What?”

“Go out with me,” Jeonghan repeats, “You say yes to the first person who asks you out on Monday, right? Well this week, that’s me.”

Seungcheol blinks, scrunches his eyebrows up like he has a lot to think about. They stand in silence for a moment, Jeonghan with the door half-open. He doesn't like wasting time. “Fine, I guess you'll be missing out,” Jeonghan steps out into the autumn air, “See you around.” But he'll probably never see Seungcheol around, not when they've been eluding each other for over two years.

He leaves Seungcheol shell-shocked in the studio, and heads to lunch like nothing happened.

 

* * *

 

Jeonghan doesn’t expect the rogue eraser to hit him right in the temple. He whips around, putting the blame on Joshua. “What was that for?” It’s the angriest whisper he can manage.

“I’m bored,” Josh shrugs, “Hey, what are you doing after school?”

He checks the clock. Only four minutes until freedom. “Just soccer practice and sleeping.” Like usual.

“Wanna hit the cafe with me and Jun?”

“Sure,” Jeonghan whispers back. Without Joshua, his own social life would be shameful.

The clock ticks by at a painful pace, and four minutes later, the school bell is the sweetest sound Jeonghan’s ever heard.

As he packs up his back, a delicate hand pats his shoulder. “See that guy in the doorway?” Nayoung asks, “That’s Choi Seungcheol.”

Sure enough, the class president is lingering just outside the classroom, a small gathering of girls whispering behind him. “Huh. Does he usually stop by here?”

“No,” She tells him, “Maybe his girlfriend is in our class and he’s waiting for her?”

So he _did_ get a different girlfriend. Jeonghan smirks to himself; the guy doesn’t know what he’s missing. But when Jeonghan exits the room, it’s him who gets stopped by Seungcheol. “Jeonghan, hey.”

“Uh, hi.” Jeonghan shifts under Seungcheol’s stare. “Need something?”

“Yes, actually,” the boy digs a phone out of his pocket and hands it to Seungcheol. “Could I get your number?” This Seungcheol is different from the one Jeonghan left in the dance studio. More confident. Must have been a rough morning, Jeonghan thinks.

Automatically, Jeonghan punches it in. “What, in case our idiot friends make us run errands for them again?”

That earns him a chuckle from Seungcheol. He doesn’t seem like someone who smiles a lot. Or responds to people’s questions, apparently—”Well, I have to get going, unfortunately. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow.” And Seungcheol leaves, just like that.

 

* * *

 

It’s 9:56 P.M when Jeonghan gets his first text from an unknown number:

 

**Goodnight! Sweet Dreams**

**-SC**

 

.

tuesday

.

 

Jeonghan’s vibrating phone wakes him up the next morning. He flops a sleepy arm out to feel around for it, and to Jeonghan’s shock, it’s another text from Seungcheol:

 

**Good morning Jeonghan~ Are you on your way to school?**

**P.S. You didn’t wish me sweet dreams last night? I’m hurt :(**

 

The text does a fantastic job of waking him up. Because Jeonghan is wide awake now, re-reading Seungcheol’s messages. He didn’t respond last night because Jeonghan thought the sender had the wrong number. It has to be Seungcheol, right? Why did he text Jeonghan? Does he want something?

He thinks up a million questions while getting ready for school, and after a quick shower, Jeonghan taps out a response:

 

**sorry lol i was tired. leaving for school now.**

**-jh**

 

It sounds like something he would text his mom. Maybe the message is too simple, but Jeonghan doesn’t think about it. He hurries out the door with a kiss to his aunt’s cheek and a good-bye to his cousin. Jeonghan’s been living under his aunt and uncle’s roof for four years, after getting accepted into this fancy high school on a soccer scholarship. Glancing back at the house, it’s obvious that his family isn’t well-off. But the house is close, close enough that he can travel to school each morning. And far away enough that on the subway ride there, Jeonghan can have some quality introspection time.

He’s taken this same path every day for four school years: over the bridge, on the train, and past the market. If Jeonghan were a somnambulant, he could get to school in his sleep. So this morning when he arrives, Jeonghan is concentrated solely on his thoughts, nearly missing the call of, “Jeonghan! Hey!”

It’s not a familiar voice; he’s only heard it a couple of times. Jeonghan turns around and there’s Choi Seungcheol. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” He puts on his snobbiest voice.

Fortunately, Seungcheol smiles. He has a weak sense of humor; perfect for Jeonghan’s personality. “Let me walk you to class.”

This is too weird. There has to be something Jeonghan’s missing. On a whim, he asks, “Why, did you decide to go out with me after all?”

The way Seungcheol squirms is awkward, but oddly cute. “You were the first person who asked me.”

That’s a yes. It’s a roundabout yes, but a yes, which means Jeonghan has a boyfriend. After the fact, he doesn’t feel at all like they’re dating. “Perfect,” If they are dating, then Jeonghan plans to take full advantage of it. “Carry these for me?” He transfers two textbooks from his arms to Seungcheol’s, and remarkably, Seungcheol takes them. Maybe he _is_ the ideal boyfriend.

They end up in front of Jeonghan’s classroom just as the bell rings. “Wanna grab lunch together later?” Seungcheol asks.

“I’m eating with the soccer team today,” It isn’t a lie, and Seungkwan gets far too upset when Jeonghan skips out on them. Jeonghan has already decided, however, that he wants to maximize time with his arm-candy, and so he says, “but you can eat with us if you want?”

Seungcheol smiles, “Sounds great.”

It’s there, sitting in his human sciences class, that Jeonghan realizes he has no idea how to act in a relationship. He dated an underclassman last month named Minkyung, and they were a good-looking couple (Nayoung had set them up, even). But she broke up with him after three weeks because he was too bossy, too sarcastic, too lazy. Jeonghan learned a long time ago that he can’t be friends with everyone, but Minkyung made him think his attitude just doesn’t work in a relationship. He’s still friends with her; they work better like that. But what if everyone wants to be ‘just friends?’ What if Jeonghan will never hold a steady relationship? Once he starts thinking like this, it’s a steep slope downward and Jeonghan leaves for lunch convinced he’ll be lonely forever.

Just not this week. He sees what Nayoung meant earlier; a week is enough to feel like he has something real. A nice little security blanket.

There’s a small diner off a side-street from the market where the team usually meets once a week for lunch. It’s the perfect place for Jeonghan to get a greasy burger and for the team diet-fiends (namely Minghao and Wonwoo) to find something on the healthier side.

He’s never brought anyone to eat lunch with the team before, not even Joshua. Jihoon is team captain, and he looks disappointed every time Seungkwan brings his friend Vernon to lunch because it “interferes with the team dynamic.” Jeonghan thinks that’s bullshit, so today he walks Seungcheol to their usual table with his head held high.

“Hey guys,” he greets his teammates, sets his bag next to a chair. The entire team isn’t here yet, but those who are meet him with confused looks. “We have a guest today. Everyone, this is Seungcheol. Seungcheol, these are my idiot teammates.”

“Hey!” Seungkwan already has his face half-stuffed with a burger, “You’re an idiot teammate, too.”

Unsurprisingly, Seungcheol is met with a warm welcome. Some of the boys, like Mingyu and Dokyeom, are very good with new people. Even when the full team arrives, nobody questions Seungcheol’s presence. Except Jihoon, that is: “So Jeonghan,” he begins, “When did you start having friends?”

“Fuck you, Jihoon,” he laughs, steals one of Seungcheol’s fries, “And Seungcheol’s not my friend.” Here it comes. He can sense Seungcheol stiffen beside him as he looks directly into Jihoon’s eyes— “He’s my boyfriend.”

There are mixed reactions. Gasps are heard, Wonwoo chokes on his water, Seungkwan’s jaw drops, and Mingyu blurts out, “You’re _gay?”_

“I am this week,” he jokes, but Jeonghan has never discussed his sexuality with the team. He’s someone who goes with the flow—when he had a girlfriend, Jeonghan genuinely liked her, but boys are hot. He’s known that since puberty.

Minghao speaks up: “Oh, you’re the one with the weekly girlfriend, right? I heard about that.”

“Good luck with Jeonghan,” Seungkwan rolls his eyes, “He’s a handful.”

To his right, Seungcheol’s shoulders relax and he glances down, almost shy. It’s something Jeonghan hasn’t seen from him. “Jeonghan’s not bad so far.”

“See?” He speaks around a mouthful of burger, “At least my _boyfriend_ likes me.”

The waitress here is cute. Not his type, but cute. He expects Seungcheol to spare her a glance, for all his playboy status is worth, but all of Seungcheol’s attention is directed at him instead. It makes Jeonghan feel guilty that his expectations of Seungcheol were so low. He absently jabs at his pile of fries with his fork, shoveling some in his mouth without too much thought.

“You eat fries with a fork?” Seungcheol sounds surprised.

Dokyeom laughs, “It’s weird, isn’t it? Jeonghan does that all the time. And when there’s no fork, he uses chopsticks instead.”

“I don’t like the grease on my fingers, okay?” Jeonghan shrugs, “Even the best of us aren’t perfect, Dokyeom.”

Next to him, Seungcheol smiles gently and says, “I accept your flaws,” just loud enough for him to hear. Maybe it’s a joke, but his soft tone sticks in Jeonghan’s brain.

The rest of the meal is predictably spent talking about soccer. They have a big game on Friday and place bets on how badly they’ll lose. And Seungcheol laughs with them, and everyone likes him. It makes Jeonghan feel good.

“I paid for your meal, by the way,” he tells Jeonghan when they’re finishing up, “I asked the waitress when you weren’t paying attention. Sorry. Instincts.”

The sneaky bastard. Somewhere across the table, he hears Wonwoo mumble, _“Cute.”_

They walk back to class together with Jihoon’s official invitation for Seungcheol to “join us anytime.” It stings a bit, knowing he won’t be able to.

“What are you doing after school?” Seungcheol’s voice brings him out of his thoughts.

“Probably sleeping and watching Netflix.” On nights that Jeonghan doesn’t have soccer practice, he uses every excuse to be lazy.

That makes Seungcheol laugh. “Do you want to go out instead? To the mall, maybe?”

Jeonghan has no alibi (but honestly, he’s curious as to how a mall date with Seungcheol would go). “For you? I’ll make time, _sweetie.”_

He likes it when Seungcheol smiles like that, when all his gums show. “Great. We’ll head to the mall when school ends, then.”

The doorway to Jeonghan’s classroom comes into view. “I’ll take those,” he transfers the books from Seungcheol’s arms back into his, “See ya.”

He barely hears Seungcheol’s _‘bye,’_ before Nayoung waves him over to her desk. “I thought you said you didn’t know Choi Seungcheol.”

Jeonghan shrugs. “I started talking to him. He’s pretty cool.”

He finds himself more eager than usual for class to end today. And when class does end, Josh catches him by the arm. “Hey, are you still coming tonight?”

 _Shit._ Jeonghan forgot—he has a study session lined up with some classmates, Josh and Nayoung included. As far as Jeonghan’s concerned, studying can wait. “Oh, yeah. I might be a little late, but I’ll be there.”

Joshua has never been good at masking his emotions, so Jeonghan can see the curiosity oozing out of him. Jeonghan doesn’t give any more details; he likes seeing Joshua squirm.

True to form, Seungcheol greets him at the door with a smile and walks beside him like a perfect gentleman. “To the mall?”

“To the mall. We can do some shopping, catch a movie…” Seungcheol pauses, “You like movies, right?”

They really know nothing about each other. But that’s what a date is about, right? Getting to know each other? “I love them,” he answers, “The shittier the better. We’ll have to watch one together before…” he doesn’t finish.

Seungcheol picks it up for him: “Yeah, I’d like that.”

As soon as they leave school property, Jeonghan decides to try something new. There aren’t many people around (and if there were, he wouldn’t care). Jeonghan reaches between them and slips his hand into Seungcheol’s. The other boy flinches, almost moves his hand away, but then realizes what Jeonghan’s doing. “Something wrong?” Jeonghan smirks.

Seungcheol doesn’t reply. He seems shy, but that makes no sense. His hand relaxes in Jeonghan’s. The only other time they’ve made skin-to-skin contact is if their fingers brush in the book-transferring ritual, Jeonghan realizes. Seungcheol’s palms are rough, and his hands are bigger in the parts where Jeonghan’s are more slender. “You know, I thought you’d be better at this, for someone who dates on a clock,” Jeonghan comments.

Shifting his hand, Seungcheol locks their fingers together. That’s more like it. “You make me sound bad.” His lip sticks out in a pout, and while it’s adorable, Jeonghan wonders if the comment actually affected him.

“Sorry, I’m not the kind of guy who has to be in a relationship all the time.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve never been in a relationship.”

Jeonghan sighs, “I broke up with my girlfriend last month. We didn’t date for long, though. Other than that, not much.” And maybe it’s unnecessary, but Jeonghan adds, “And now, you.” Then a question slips into Jeonghan’s brain, and he asks it before he can stop himself: “So, you ever dated a guy before?”

Seungcheol coughs. “Well, no. Have you?”

“Nope.” Jeonghan’s wanted to. He’s always wondered what kissing a guy would be like. Girls are nice, but he needs rough edges in his life sometimes. “I’m honored.”

This can’t be a date. Yes, they’re dating, and yes, they’re going to the mall alone together, but there’s no way this is a date. No butterflies, no sweaty palms, no awkwardness—just Jeonghan getting to know Seungcheol. And for someone who seems friendly, Seungcheol is a bit hard to befriend right away (but then again, they’re _dating_. Being friends shouldn’t be Jeonghan’s concern).

The city is loud around them, but the air still feels quiet. Jeonghan worries he’s just another task. Like Seungcheol goes through the same schedule every week, and it’s Tuesday, so he has to go out for a date. But maybe he doesn’t want to be here with Jeonghan.

Then Seungcheol clears his throat. “So, how do you like being on the soccer team?”

“Oh, it’s a pain in the ass, but I love it. I’m a striker, with Dokyeom. You ever go to a game?”

He shakes his head, “Can’t say I have. I’m usually studying.”

“That’s no fun,” Jeonghan frowns, “We have a game on Friday—you should come.”

Seungcheol licks his lips, an action that sticks out to Jeonghan, “Do I need a ticket?”

“No way, just show up. Game starts at five.” Not many people come to their games, even home games. They aren’t the best team, but they try.

A few minutes later, the high roof of the mall comes into sight. Seungcheol’s hand slips away, leaving Jeonghan’s empty. He gets it—lots of kids from their school come here. Jeonghan just didn’t expect Seungcheol to care about the public eye so much.

Jeonghan only has a few dollars on him, enough for a movie ticket, but not for any real shopping. Seungcheol explains that he needs new shoes, so they start there.

The oddest thing happens: Jeonghan can’t stop looking at Seungcheol. No matter what store they’re in, no matter what Seungcheol’s doing, Jeonghan can’t stop staring and he doesn’t know why. It’s like Seungcheol is the permanent focal point of every room.

He isn’t surprised that Seungcheol lets him pick the movie. Jeonghan picks an action film (that ends up lacking in action) and Seungcheol insists on treating him to popcorn. There’s a fine line between the good kind of shitty and the boring kind, and this movie is just so dull. Jeonghan sits there in the darkness beside Seungcheol (who also looks quite bored), failing at keeping his eyes open. At the end of the movie, Jeonghan wakes up without realizing he ever fell asleep. His head rests on Seungcheol’s shoulder and when he apologizes to Seungcheol, the boy gives him a timid, “It’s fine.”

They have fun. In fact, it’s the most fun Jeonghan’s had in a long time. And in the blink of an eye, hours have passed and Seungcheol doesn’t feel like a stranger anymore.

And he holds Seungcheol’s hand up until they go their separate ways.

Jeonghan only shows up to the study session half an hour late. It’s at Junhui’s house, which is very far from the mall. Unsurprisingly, there seems to be less studying going on and more hanging out.

About fifteen people from various classes are here, and some don’t have any binders or books out. Joshua spots Jeonghan immediately and waves him over. They study for a straight hour, but Jeonghan doesn’t gain any more confidence in the subject. His mind is on other things.

During a break, he asks Nayoung, “So I’m curious; you mentioned you dated Seungcheol for a week. What was that like?”

She smiles at the memory. “It was really nice. He’s so polite. He took me on dates, we ate meals together—it felt like a real relationship.” Nayoung thinks for a second, then says, “Minus the touching, though.”

“The what?”

“Other guys I’ve dated would have more physical contact. Put his arm around me or hug me or something. But Seungcheol—it’s like he avoids that. He never touches the girls he dates directly, except maybe one hug.”

 _Huh._ “Why’s that?”

Nayoung shrugs. “I don’t know. It’s just a rule of his. Maybe so the girls won’t get too attached. Because he never does. Like he makes an effort not to fall in love.”

Jeonghan keeps this in mind, but he can’t erase the feeling of Seungcheol’s hand in his own.

Lying in bed that night, his heartbeat jumps when he gets a text:

 

**From: Choi Seungcheol**

**I had fun today! See you in the morning~**

**To: Choi Seungcheol**

**night babe** **♡♡ xoxoxxx see u before then in my dreams x**

**From: Choi Seungcheol**

**… Pretty sure you’re joking but just in case, sweet dreams**

 

 

.

wednesday

.

 

 **To:** **♡ Choi Seungcheol** **♡**

**GOOD MORNING**

**To:** **♡ Choi Seungcheol** **♡**

**hA beat u to it muahaha**

**From:** **♡ Choi Seungcheol** **♡**

**Dang :( but I’ll beat you to school**

**From:** **♡ Choi Seungcheol** **♡**

**Also good morning!!**

For the second morning in a row, Seungcheol is waiting for him at the gates of the school. He takes Jeonghan’s books with no prompting today, and Jeonghan thinks he should have a full-time boyfriend if it means service like this.

His happiness lasts for an entire two minutes, before they enter the school and there’s a group of underclassmen girls waiting. He can practically see the hearts in their eyes; it makes Jeonghan feel queasy. “Hi, Seungcheol!” they say, “Good morning, Seungcheol!”

“Morning,” And that’s what Seungcheol’s weakness is: he _cares._ He’s smiling and kind to them, not realizing that it does something to Jeonghan.

“Are those his books you’re carrying?” one of them asks, “You’re so nice, Seungcheol!” He can’t respond before the girl continues: “By the way, who are you dating this week?” Jeonghan bristles; it’s just a question out of curiosity, but Jeonghan wonders how this girl would feel if she knew the answer.

He glances at Seungcheol. The boy doesn’t say anything, so Jeonghan responds for him: “It’s me.”

That gets the girls laughing. “What an adorable couple,” one of them says in a flat voice, and another, “You’re too funny! Who is it, really?”

Seungcheol stays quiet. His face is completely blank, like he has no plans to tell the truth anytime soon. “I wasn’t joking,” Jeonghan tells them, “It’s really me.” Why isn’t Seungcheol _saying anything?_

After a minute, the girls give up. They don’t believe Jeonghan. And the whole way to class, Seungcheol says nothing.

While the teacher drones on, Jeonghan thinks about what it means to be in a relationship. A text in the morning, one at night, a date in between—is that all? It’s only been three days, and Jeonghan can check off all the boxes of a perfect relationship. They’ve eaten together, watched a movie together, held hands… what else is there?

At break time right before sixth period, Nayoung hits him with a book. “There he is again,” she whispers.

Honestly, Jeonghan didn’t think Seungcheol would show up. He seemed upset this morning, but now he’s here like nothing happened. “Yeah, we’ve been hanging out lately.” And as soon as the bell rings, Jeonghan is the first one out. He and Seungcheol walk next to each other, an unspoken apology hanging between them when there was nothing to be sorry for.

They make their way to the courtyard, and Jeonghan is hyper-aware of every girl who stares at Seungcheol as they pass. He didn’t notice them before, but something makes their attention stand out now. “I have to watch my back, with all these girls checking you out.”

Seungcheol’s shoulder brushes against his, and Jeonghan wonders if it’s on purpose. “Do girls bother you?”

He laughs. “Nah. Are you asking if I like girls? The day that someone likes everything about me, inside and out, then I won’t care if they’re a guy or a girl.”

Seungcheol seems to think about that. “I have a student gov meeting after school,” he says abruptly, “You don’t have to wait up for me.”

He walks faster than Jeonghan. The back of his head is fine, but Jeonghan has to increase his stride to see his face more. “I have soccer practice, perfect. We can meet by the park, you know? I’m done at five.” There’s a park near the school, straight down the road. Jeonghan doesn’t go to the park often; it’s mostly a place where couples go, romantic and beautiful. This is the ideal week to meet Seungcheol there.

Sometime before they reach the courtyard, Jeonghan starts looking at Seungcheol. Really _looks_ at him—the strong profile, dark hair grazing heavy brows.

And he notices Seungcheol has very long eyelashes. They’re like a girl’s, long and thick, and once Jeonghan notices this he can’t look away. He’s never seen a boy with such pretty eyelashes. It’s the smallest detail about Seungcheol, but it still captivates him.

Without thinking, he reaches a hand up to brush Seungcheol’s hair from his cheek. He’s beautiful; Jeonghan isn’t sure why he hasn’t noticed before.

Seungcheol jumps at the contact of Jeonghan’s hand, and stops walking. “What…” he starts a thought and doesn’t finish it. Jeonghan’s palm takes in the firmness of Seungcheol’s skin, the hard edge of his cheekbone. He just wants to stare at Seungcheol. Within seconds, Seungcheol is leaning into the touch and Jeonghan is pushing back on the space between them. Slowly, they draw close to each other, and Jeonghan can feel the fine hairs on the back of Seungcheol’s neck.

Then he stops. Something in Jeonghan’s mind shuts off, makes him jolt away and say, “Let’s, uh—let’s go sit down.”

Seungcheol blinks, then nods. And Jeonghan pretends the electricity between them didn’t exist the minute before, as walks quickly toward the nearest bench. Jeonghan doesn’t make it five meters before someone calls out, “There you are!”

It’s Junhui, waving a book in his hand. Jeonghan smiles at him, catches the way his eyes flicker to Seungcheol in curiosity.

Jun isn’t Jeonghan’s closest friend, but he acts like he is. Jun is touchy, and intimate, and flirtatious even with strangers. So when Jeonghan gets close enough, Jun sling an arm around his waist and says in a low voice, “You left this at the study meet last night. Thought you might need it.” They’re words that don’t sound sexy, but Jun gives it his best shot.

Jeonghan didn’t notice the book was missing; his mind has been on other things lately. Still, he sweeps Jun into a dramatic hug and says, “Thanks, you’re the best!”

To Junhui, a hug is like permission to make a show. He holds Jeonghan at arms’ length, kisses the air by his cheek until Jeonghan laughs. And then there are strong, rough fingers at Jeonghan’s shoulder, tugging him back into Seungcheol’s space. “What?” He shoots Seungcheol a confused look.

Seungcheol’s face—he looks embarrassed, red tips on his ears. “Don’t cheat on me, now,” the boy says in a soft voice.

Something warm blooms in Jeonghan’s stomach, something that makes him grin and run a reassuring hand down Seungcheol’s back. “Don’t worry. I’m not a cheater.”

It’s a moment shattered by Junhui, butting in to ask, “Who’s cheating on who?” with a wink.

Jeonghan just laughs. For the rest of the school day, he can’t stop smiling.

 

* * *

 

The bench is cold and empty. Seungcheol said his meeting would be over at 5:30, but now it’s 6:15 and Jeonghan is still alone at the park.

There are lots of couples here, pairs of boys and girls with arms linked. Jeonghan recognizes some of them from around school.

“Sorry I’m late.”

A low voice snaps Jeonghan out of his thoughts, and there’s Seungcheol. “I was starting to think you stood me up,” He says it with a smile.

Jeonghan leads him to shaded area, where they can look out over a pond surrounded by beautiful flowers and trees. It’s peaceful here. They don’t stand too close to each other. “This is a hotspot for dumb couples,” he thinks out loud, “But we’re one of them, aren’t we?”

Seungcheol chuckles, “We are.”

“Do you come here every week?”

There’s a pause before Seungcheol speaks. “Sometimes. It depends on what they want to do.”

He needs a backbone, Jeonghan thinks. It must be tiring, going where everyone else wants to go week after week.

It was like this a few hours ago, Jeonghan caught up in this odd spell of being captivated by Seungcheol. He’s farther away now, but Jeonghan can still look to the right and see the sharp curves of Seungcheol’s face, long lashes veiling his eyes. What would it feel like to have Seungcheol so close to him that he could feel those lashes against his own cheek? Before he can stop himself, Jeonghan thinks about kissing Seungcheol. That’s what people do here, right?

Nayoung said Seungcheol doesn’t touch any of the people he dates. He wonders how many girls have gotten a kiss from Seungcheol just in one week. Seungcheol is looking at him now. There’s something in his eyes, something deep that Jeonghan can _feel._ In that moment, Jeonghan throws caution to the wind. He lets his eyes flutter closed, lets himself lean into the gravity between them.

For twenty seconds, nothing happens. He doesn’t expect Seungcheol to do anything; there are people around. But then comes a sensation: the light fall of Seungcheol’s footsteps over the water sound, the brush of Seungcheol’s fingers at the edge of his jaw. And Jeonghan keeps his eyes closed, breath caught tight in his lungs.

When Seungcheol kisses him, it’s easy and soft. This is what Jeonghan wanted, but he can’t stop the shock running through him; Nayoung had lied, and in that second, Jeonghan doesn’t care. The warmth leaves his mouth as Seungcheol pulls back. He probably wants a response, but Jeonghan has nothing to give. So they lean in again, meeting in the lightest kiss, and then another, and Jeonghan feels long eyelashes so fleetingly on his skin that he could cry.

“I can’t believe I fell for that,” Jeonghan whispers when there’s some space between them. He knew it was too good to be true, that Seungcheol never shows affection like this.

Seungcheol clears his throat. “Fell for what?”

“Nothing,” Jeonghan gives him a wide grin.

Only a few hours are left until the sun sets. Jeonghan can see the time pass with every minute as the sky grows pinker at the horizon, and he still can’t shake the giddy feeling of Seungcheol’s kiss. Jeonghan doesn’t care how many girls he’s kissed before, right in the park—that was special.

It keeps him awake that night: the swell of his heart, knowing he’ll end up wanting too much.

 

.

thursday

.

 

Jeonghan doesn’t get a text that morning. It’s odd how he was expecting one, how the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was check his phone.

At school, Seungcheol is waiting for him again. He greets Jeonghan with a gentle smile. Just seeing him again reminds Jeonghan of their kiss yesterday. If he concentrates, Jeonghan can still feel the firm press of Seungcheol’s lips on his own.

“Good morning, _babe,”_ He debates between handing Seungcheol his books or holding his hand. “Do I get a good-morning kiss?” The books sound like a safer move. “Yesterday didn’t count, by the way,” Jeonghan says, even though it was a significant moment for him, “Let’s call it an accident.” Maybe he shouldn’t apologize for the kiss they shared; they’re dating. He forgets that.

Seungcheol bumps Jeonghan lightly at the shoulder, “It was a trap, not an accident.”

“Hey! Don’t blame me for being kissable.” Any tension in the air is gone now—it’s nice to joke like this, to laugh with Seungcheol.

He doesn’t get the good-morning kiss.

At break time, they end up in a stairwell Jeonghan never uses. Hardly any students use these stairs, in fact, but Jeonghan has heard stories of couples coming here to make out during break. He tries not to be hopeful.

There’s a question pressing at the back of Jeonghan’s mind, so he asks it: “Hey, you know Im Nayoung, right?”

“Who?”

“She’s in my class,” Jeonghan explains, “You dated her last spring.” Not one sign of recognition passes over Seungcheol’s face. “You guys don’t keep in touch?”

Seungcheol takes a deep breath. “I don’t contact any of my exes.”

“Asshole.”

“Hey,” his voice takes on a tone Jeonghan hasn’t heard before, a harder one. “It’s a rule of mine. If I’m dating someone and contacting a bunch of girls at the same time, that’s not—”

Jeonghan sits up. “Seriously? You mean you don’t talk to any of them ever?” Seungcheol shakes his head no. “Not even if they call you?”

“I don’t answer calls from unknown numbers.”

Once the reality sets in, Jeonghan’s heart drops. In a few days, he’ll be just another unknown number. “I can’t believe it,” Jeonghan’s angry. He doesn’t get angry a lot, but he is now and he’s not sure why. “Do you know how much that makes you look like a dick? And the girls don’t even _care?”_

They’re both skirting around the situation: after this week, they’ll never talk to each other again. It’s only been three days and Jeonghan didn’t realize how attached he was. He’s a fool to think it would be this easy, that he could have Seungcheol and not feel anything for him and leave him without looking back. Because no matter how hard he tries to deny, there’s already a spot in Jeonghan’s heart for this boy.

“What do you want me to do?” he can tell Seungcheol is bothered by this. “I can’t have it look like I’m cheating.”

Jeonghan understands. He knows this, but something still sticks under his skin like a splinter. Would he take it all back? Would he have asked Seungcheol out in the first place if he knew it would cut all ties with him? Last week, Jeonghan had never heard of Choi Seungcheol. This week, he’s all Jeonghan can think about and he hates it.

Suddenly, everything becomes suffocating and Jeonghan has to get out. “I’m gonna head back to class,” his voice is empty, “Don’t wait for me.”

 But after school, Seungcheol does wait for him. The atmosphere is thick and uncomfortable and yet they still walk side by side down the long staircase outside. Jeonghan speaks first: “I’m sorry I was a jerk.”

“You weren’t,” Seungcheol says, “I know you didn’t mean it. We’re fine. And I’m sorry, too.”

Seungcheol doesn’t even have to apologize. “Why was I pissed at you?” Jeonghan hops down to the same step as Seungcheol and pokes him in the cheek. “You’re too cute to be mad at.”

He seems to brush off Jeonghan’s comment and silently, Seungcheol’s arm comes to loop around Jeonghan’s own.

Seven days is too short. Maybe he’s greedy. In his mind, Jeonghan curses Seungcheol for creating this rule, this world that they can only exist together in for seven days.

It’s eerily realistic. The first day, they felt like nothing but strangers, and now Jeonghan really believes Seungcheol is his boyfriend. The dates are realistic, the conversation. And the feelings. Those are real, too, and they hit Jeonghan like a train.

He gets home that night, flops down on his bed and takes deep breaths. They don’t do much to clear his head. But nothing can compare to lying in bed, Jeonghan thinks.

There’s a tap on the door. “You’re asleep already? You just got home,” It’s his cousin, Chan. “Why were you late, by the way? You were home late yesterday, too.”

“I’m not asleep, just thinking,” Jeonghan rolls over onto his back. He makes eye contact with Chan, this young, innocent cousin of his. He has to tell someone. When he told the soccer team about him and Seungcheol, it hadn’t been serious. It’s serious now. Thoughts of Seungcheol itch under his skin and Jeonghan needs to _tell someone._ “And I’m late because I was with my boyfriend.”

The look on Chan’s face is comical. And the relief that comes with telling Chan feels amazing. “Boyfriend? Wow, uh, congrats.” Chan looks like he wants to say something, but all he says is, “Anyone I know?”

“You know Choi Seungcheol? Senior Class President at my school?” Chan shakes his head, but looks impressed anyway. “Yeah, he’s a catch.”

“Do you have a picture?” His cousin seems almost shy to ask.

 _Huh._ Jeonghan does not have a picture of Seungcheol. They don’t follow each other on SNS, either, or have any mutual friends that Jeonghan knows of. It’s odd, how much of strangers they are. “I don’t, actually. But when I get one, I’ll show you. Or better yet, bring you the real thing.” It’s meant as a joke, but he thinks Seungcheol and Chan would in fact get along very well.

Everything comes back to that thought: this will end on Sunday. There are still so many things he wants to do with Seungcheol: bring him home, meet his friends, go on dozens more dates. Kiss him again.

Jeonghan can feel the time slipping away, can count the hours in his head. Three days until his heart gets broken.

Three more days.


	2. Friday to Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember when i said i was posting this on friday lol i'm so funny

.

friday

.

 

The girls are here again. They surround Seungcheol like vultures, and it makes Jeonghan’s stomach churn. Usually he wouldn’t mind being trailed by girls constantly, but they’re here for Seungcheol. He’s jealous. Admitting that is too easy.

He doesn’t catch a word of class that morning. It’s English, so he could just go to Joshua later, but Jeonghan has never been so out of it before. He takes notes and realizes later that it’s all gibberish. His mind bounces all over the place, from playing soccer, to Seungcheol, to kissing Seungcheol, and he must be going crazy. There’s no other explanation for being so distracted, for—

“Are you okay?”

How long has Joshua been standing over his desk? Jeonghan glances around, and all the other students are packing up. He didn’t even hear the bell ring. “Me? Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You’ve been acting weird lately, man. We haven’t even hung out in like, half a week.” That’s because everything is about Seungcheol this week, and he wants to tell Joshua so badly.

“We can hang on Monday or something,” To get his mind off things.

Joshua nods, but he looks concerned. “Oh, by the way, I have a gift for you,” he reaches into his pocket and comes up with two shiny paper tickets, “I won two tickets to this movie next Sunday, the one you wanted to see. I’d take you, but I’m out of town. So you can have both of them.”

“Are you serious?” Jeonghan’s mood does a complete turn-around—free movie tickets? He’ll take Seungcheol, and they can make a date out of it and… Except, he won’t be dating Seungcheol next Sunday. He won’t even be on Seungcheol’s radar. Still, Jeonghan says, “Thanks, you’re awesome.”

Joshua gives him a grin, “Invite your girlfriend.”

“Who?” Jeonghan’s heart skips, “We broke up, remember?”

“Oh, I thought you had a new one, with how you’ve been acting,” He wonders if it’s that obvious, “Nayoung was willing to bet money. But if you say so,” A cheesy, imperfect wink from Joshua. “Alright, I’ll see you later, man.”

“See you.”

At this time, Jeonghan is usually off school property. But today he feels like he doesn’t want to move, doesn’t want to think. The room is completely empty now. He stays at his desk and stares at the two tickets in his lap.

 

* * *

 

As usual, their stadium is only half-full. But that makes it easier to pick out Seungcheol, in the stands surrounded by his admirers. _If only they knew he’s here to see me,_ Jeonghan thinks.

“Is Seungcheol coming?” Mingyu sends him a suggestive look.

“He’s here,” Jeonghan says, “Why, you wanna steal him from me?”

The tall boy laughs, leans against the sideline fence. “I’m just glad to see you liking someone.”

“You know it’s not a real relationship,” That’s hard to say, “We’re only together for a week; that’s Seungcheol’s thing.”

“But you like him.” It isn’t a question. “Even on Tuesday, I could tell.”

Mingyu is right. With Seungcheol, there was this immediate attraction that he tried so hard to deny, and now he’s trying to savor anything they may have together before it’s too late. Maybe it already is too late. Mingyu gives Jeonghan this look of pure pity, and pats him on the back in a way that does nothing for his heart.

When Jeonghan plays soccer, it’s borderline therapeutic. He channels all his energy and pent-up frustration into each kick, and the adrenaline is fantastic. That night during the game, Jeonghan does more than just play; he gets into his headspace, tunes into the team energy and puts everything into that game. It isn’t an important match, but to Jeonghan, this is cathartic. And Seungcheol is watching.

They lose. Nothing new—the other team is too good. Seungkwan is a great goalie, but the rival offense is strong, and Jihoon can’t weave through the opponents to make passes like he usually does.

When the final whistle blows, Jeonghan is _tired._ He leans on his teammates, splashes cool water on his face before walking back toward the field. Tonight, the only light around comes from the stadium. Eerie and synthetic, Jeonghan feels like the whole world is distorted. Like a dream. And there by the sidelines, he sees Seungcheol, glowing underneath the pale light.

“Hey,” Jeonghan calls to him, “I hope you weren’t too bored.” He gets close enough to see all the teeth in Seungcheol’s smile.

He doesn’t expect Seungcheol to pull him in close, hug him tight and say in the softest voice, “You were amazing.” Jeonghan can feel each word against his skin, and he clings back onto Seungcheol. It feels warm. It feels like they’re lovers. And Seungcheol presses a kiss to the crown of his head, natural as if they do this all the time.

That’s the moment when Jeonghan knows he can’t give Seungcheol away to someone else.

The team goes out for ice cream afterward to “celebrate their attempt,” as Jihoon likes to put it. Seungcheol comes along and the entire team is happy to have him there. He can feel Seungcheol’s hand brush his leg under the table.

This has to stop. Jeonghan has to stop believing in something that doesn’t exist. In his duffel bag, a pair of tickets sits in the bottom of a pocket—movie tickets he can’t use because he can’t take Seungcheol. He waits until they’re halfway to the station before showing his boyfriend. “These are for you,” he says, “I can’t really use them. You should take your girlfriend next week.”

Seungcheol stops and reads over the ticket. “What?”

“It would be a good date,” Jeonghan explains, “I got them for free.”

The other boy takes a deep breath, closes his fist so the ticket wrinkles and twists. “I’ve heard people call you dumb and I never believed them.” Seungcheol looks at the tickets like they make him sick, and Jeonghan isn’t sure what he did wrong.

“Well, don’t tell me that,” He’s trying to lighten the mood. It doesn’t work. “I know I’m dumb.”

Seungcheol continues, “And you act blunt with people but you’re actually very understanding. And good at listening. But you’re so clumsy, and you get bored a lot, and you eat fries with a fork, and no one can ever tell if you’re joking, and you complain about stupid things,” He pauses. Jeonghan says nothing; he tries to figure out where this is coming from. “And you’re very forgetful.”

Jeonghan knows all of this. He’s heard it from his friends, his family, heard it from his ex-girlfriend the day she broke up with him. The air becomes thin. He doesn’t want to hear another word from Seungcheol. But Seungcheol opens his mouth again, and Jeonghan braces himself.

Then: “Those are the things I really like about you.”

Something clicks inside of him, changes. “Come again?”

“I really like all that about you.”

This can’t be real. His whole life, Jeonghan has never thought someone could care about the worst parts of him. He blinks, and Seungcheol is still there smiling at him. This boy is real, and he belongs to Jeonghan for seven days. Jeonghan is _happy_. He’s happy that he met Seungcheol, that they could be together, if only temporarily.

They reach the station in silence, and Jeonghan doesn’t want to leave. He wants to spend more time with Seungcheol, even if it means missing his train. “You’re slow, too. That’s another thing,” Seungcheol says.

“Hey, I’m not _that_ slow. You just walk fast.”

Seungcheol reaches between them, grabs Jeonghan’s hand only for a second before letting it go again. “I’m not talking about that.” He wears a sad smile that makes Jeonghan’s heart ache. “But thank you for making my Friday night less boring.”

Time stops. “Friday.”

“Huh?”

“It’s Friday.” Sometime in the week, Jeonghan had lost track of the days. But it’s Friday. And he can see the exact moment when Seungcheol realizes it, too—the boy’s eyes lose that shine, he lets out a breath. Two more days. They look at each other for a long time and Jeonghan can’t stop wanting to kiss him. And when they say goodnight, it tastes like something tragic.

Seven days is a long time. In one week, people can do nothing at all, or they can change the world. People can die, people can learn, people can laugh and cry.

For Jeonghan, seven days is enough to fall in love.

 

.

saturday

.

 

**From:** **♡Seungcheol** **♡**

**Rise and shine! xo**

**To:** **♡Seungcheol** **♡**

**why tf are you waking me up this early it’s saturday**

**From:** **♡Seungcheol** **♡**

**Let’s go out today**

**To:** **♡Seungcheol** **♡**

**ur place or mine? ;)**

**From:** **♡Seungcheol** **♡**

**Lunch first and then we’ll see ;)**

 

* * *

 

Being with Seungcheol on the weekend is different from being with him during the week. There are no school uniforms on the weekend, and Jeonghan likes his sense of style. Seungcheol has a simple fashion taste, wearing clothes that flatter him. He’s handsome.

They grab lunch at a different place this time, and Jeonghan doesn’t even have to take the train. They laugh together, have a good time, but the conversation is stiffer knowing this is their last full day together.

“What do you want to do after this?” Jeonghan asks, “It’s been like two hours and I’m already bored.” His fork snatches one of Seungcheol’s fries, “You’re boring.”

“Tough crowd,” Seungcheol laughs, “We can do whatever you like, okay? Today’s your day.”

Jeonghan can think of a lot he wants to do. He could be with Seungcheol for the rest of his life and not do everything he wants. But most of all, he wants to know Seungcheol. On a different level, a more intimate and genuine one. “We can go back to my place,” Jeonghan suggests, “Watch a shitty movie together.”

“You weren’t kidding this morning when you texted me, then,” The way he says it is almost flirtatious, and Jeonghan wonders if he’s really flirting.

He still doesn’t let them split the bill.

When Jeonghan suggested they go to his house, he hadn’t thought about the potential embarrassment. His aunt and uncle live in a humble neighborhood past the bridge, isolated from the main city, and it’s a well-known fact that Seungcheol’s family has money.

But when they arrive at the house, there’s no judgement from Seungcheol. “Sorry it’s not much,” Jeonghan leads him to the front door, “Good location, though. Close to school.”

“I like it,” Seungcheol says, “It has character.”

Jeonghan swings the door open and they’re greeted by Chan, who looks surprised, to say the least. “Hello,” Seungcheol smiles at the same time Jeonghan yells, “I’m home!”

“Hi.” Chan shuffles from foot to foot, then leans in and whispers, “Is this your boyfriend?”

Seungcheol says nothing. And when Jeonghan glances toward him, the other boy’s eyes are filled with care. “Yes, he is,” Jeonghan doesn’t break eye contact with Seungcheol. “Seungcheol, this is my baby cousin Chan.”

“I’m not that young!” Chan protests, “But it’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Seungcheol smiles and everything feels right. It feels like he’s supposed to be here, and there’s a slight nervousness at the thought of introducing Seungcheol to his family. Like he wants Chan’s approval of his boyfriend who won’t be his boyfriend for much longer.

They head to Jeonghan’s room and immediately, things become heavy. Jeonghan spends a lot of time in his bedroom and it’s never been like this: the atmosphere is just depressing, the air too quiet.

Jeonghan hasn’t seen this film before, and he can’t tell if it’s boring or not. Seungcheol seems to be enjoying it, at least slightly amused, but Jeonghan is distracted. He’s idle, wants to be talking with Seungcheol instead. They’re running out of time, and he’s restless.

“Jeonghan,” There’s a firm hand on his shoulder, “You okay? The movie’s over.”

He’s not okay. A wave of exhaustion passes over Jeonghan; liking someone is hard. “No,” he says, “But did you like the movie?”

“It was fine,” Seungcheol keeps his hand on Jeonghan’s arm, slowly rubbing a pattern into the fabric of his sweatshirt. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

His touch only makes Jeonghan more anxious. “Nothing, just tired.” He tries to smile, to look like his heart isn’t aching.

“You didn’t sleep last night?” Seungcheol’s voice is soft. There isn’t much space between them, and the way Seungcheol speaks makes the atmosphere more intimate. He has to be imagining things.

Jeonghan shakes his head, “Not well. I was…” He loses track of the words coming from his mouth. Slowly, Jeonghan turns his body and rests his head on the bed behind them.

“You were what?” There’s Seungcheol’s hand again, this time on Jeonghan’s back. “Jeonghan.”

“I was—” Everything is hot. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes, Jeonghan gets a spot of shyness in him that takes over his whole body. Like now—he hides his face in his bedsheet, afraid to look at Seungcheol. Why couldn’t he sleep last night? He knows; the answer is all around him and he owes Seungcheol the truth. Slowly turning his head and barely catching Seungcheol’s eyes, he says, “Thinking about you.”

Seungcheol blinks. “What did you say?”

Once is enough. Jeonghan’s not about to pathetically admit it a second time. He sits upright and repeats his answer with full confidence: “I was thinking about you.”

There’s a fogginess in Seungcheol’s eyes, like he’s been trying to solve an impossible math equation for days. Jeonghan watches as Seungcheol slumps back against the bedframe like the air in his lungs is gone. “I’m sorry,” comes Seungcheol’s breathless voice, “I just can’t believe I—”

He keeps stammering, and it takes Jeonghan a minute to realize he’s not actually in pain. There’s no hurt on his face, just a spacey expression. And Jeonghan knows what it is. He’s felt that pain, too.

Seungcheol’s breaths even out and Jeonghan says, “Sorry.” The boy looks at him. There’s that feeling again, the dizzy one. Jeonghan reaches up until his palm is light against Seungcheol’s neck. “I get it now. I’m slow.” Maybe Seungcheol is, too.

About half a meter of dead air sits between them, bridged by Jeonghan’s arm. And Jeonghan loses control of himself—he has to kiss Seungcheol. That’s all he can think about, and all his body can do is lean in. Seungcheol’s eyes follow the path of Jeonghan’s lips, and whether he’s aware of it or not, Seungcheol leans in, too.

They meet in the most fleeting of kisses, but against his mouth, Jeonghan can feel something break. Something inside Seungcheol, adding darkness to the sweet kiss. Jeonghan pulls back, absorbing the feel of Seungcheol’s lips in the last moment. He can barely get a full breath in before Seungcheol drags him back in, pushing against the gap between them.

He can’t stop. Can’t stop kissing Seungcheol with all he has, melting against this boy, tilting his head so their mouths lock at the perfect angle. The room is so hot; Jeonghan is sure he’ll explode. When his bottom lip catches between Seungcheol’s own—it’s incredible. And Seungcheol’s tongue slipping past his lips in the most sensual way, Seungcheol’s hands inching up his back. Jeonghan gives him everything. He wants to die kissing Seungcheol, wants to wake up being kissed by him, wants to—

They stop. At the same time, they become like magnets of the same charge, keeping distance between their mouths. That wasn’t a fake kiss. That was real, and wonderful, and terrifying. Jeonghan’s eyes stay closed; he can hear Seungcheol’s heavy breaths, can feel them against his cheek. “I—,” Seungcheol breaks off, sounds like he’s going to fall apart.

“I can’t do this,” Jeonghan sighs, “We shouldn’t. This is ending tomorrow, you know; let’s not act like it isn’t.” He’s sad, and confused, and frustrated, and he’s acting like he wants this to end. Jeonghan stands up, careful not to make contact with Seungcheol again. “I’m gonna get some fresh air.”

“Then I’m coming with you.” Seungcheol stands up as well.

And without saying anything, Jeonghan leaves. He walks faster than usual, always aware of Seungcheol behind him. He walks until they reach the bridge and Seungcheol calls, “Jeonghan, wait.”

“What?” he smiles. It’s a rotten kind of smile, a lonely one. “Doesn’t it ever get tiring? Dating someone new every week, kissing someone different, doing the same fake romantic shit?”

“Jeonghan, I never—”

“It’s just _dumb_.”

For a long time, they’re both silent. The only sounds around them are the water below and cars on the nearby highway. Then Seungcheol says, “I know. It’s dumb. I thought being with someone new every week would be exciting and different, keep my happy. It doesn’t.” Seungcheol reaches a hand into his pocket, pulls out two crumpled tickets. “I don’t want these, okay? Take them.”

A long, frustrated noise slips from Jeonghan’s mouth. “Who cares about the damn tickets?”

“You don’t _get it,”_ Seungcheol reaches a hand out like he’s going to touch Jeonghan’s arm, and doesn’t. “Fine. It’s fine.” He takes a breath.

Jeonghan can’t take anymore. Just being near Seungcheol and knowing this will never happen again is too much. He’s mad at Seungcheol, mad at the situation, mad at the universe. “Yeah. It’s fine.” And Jeonghan turn back, heads back toward his house. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

This time, Seungcheol doesn’t follow him.

The last text Jeonghan gets that night is two words: **I’m sorry.**

 

* * *

 

Just before midnight, he calls Joshua. Surprisingly, the other boy picks up: _“What?”_

“Hello to you, too,” Jeonghan rolls over in his bed, onto his stomach. He’s restless; no position will be comfortable tonight. “Listen, I’m having a crisis.”

Joshua sighs, voice rough with drowsiness. _“That’s what I’m here for. What’s up?”_

Deep breaths. Jeonghan can do this. And in that first deep breath, all of Jeonghan’s worries come tumbling out at once. “You know Choi Seungcheol? And how he has a new girlfriend each week? Well on Monday, I asked him out—ironically, you know—but since I was the first person, we’ve been dating this whole week. Stuff like going on dates, holding hands, and at first I thought it was funny but now I don’t anymore. I tried not to like him but I _do_ ; I really, really like him and we kissed and everything, like we pretty much made out, and tomorrow we’re going to break up and I know I’ll cry like a baby.”

Joshua stays so silent that Jeonghan has to check if the line went dead. “Hello? Josh?”

 _“I’m here,”_ comes Joshua’s voice, _“This is just… a lot to take in.”_

“Yeah. It is for me, too.”

 _“I don’t know much about this stuff,”_ Joshua starts off, _“but if it were me, I’d tell him.”_

He’s considered it. Thought about telling Seungcheol his feelings, but Jeonghan is someone who hates rejection. Seungcheol likes mixing things up, being with different people—Jeonghan can’t give that to him. No single person can. But if there’s one thing Jeonghan’s ever been good at, it’s being straight with people. He can be honest at times when it’s hard for other people, but every time he pictures himself saying _‘I like you,’_ Jeonghan’s mind can never fabricate what the reaction would be. “That sounds like a shitty idea.”

 _“Jeonghan. If you like him, tell him.”_ How does he make it sounds that easy? _“That’s what a relationship’s about, right? Being real with each other?”_

Jeonghan isn’t sure what a relationship’s about anymore. This week has turned his perception of a relationship on its head. But Joshua’s right—Seungcheol deserves to know. “Thanks, Josh,” he says, “I’ll think about it.”

Falling back asleep is hell.

 

.

sunday

.

 

“Hey, Jeonghan,” Chan catches him in the morning, when everyone knows Jeonghan is weakest. He must want something. “Mom’s making dinner tonight, like a real dinner.”

“So?” Jeonghan doesn’t feel like talking.

Chan sighs. _“So,_ you should bring your boyfriend. He seemed so nice yesterday. I want to get to know my future cousin-in-law.”

Jeonghan turns over, buries his face in a pillow so it hurts less to say, “He won’t be my boyfriend tonight.”

It’s a concept Chan can’t seem to wrap his head around. “So you’ll invite him as a friend? Mom and dad won’t care that you have a boyfriend—you’re not their kid.”

“Go away, Chan,” Jeonghan launches a stray pillow in the boy’s direction, not caring if it hits or not. “We’re breaking up today. Let me be miserable alone.”

There’s a pause. “Oh.” Then, “But yesterday you guys looked so happy. Something went wrong?”

Jeonghan looks back, tries to think about what did go wrong. And if they were in a normal, steady relationship: nothing. They had fun together, had a real connection Jeonghan hasn’t felt in so long. Nothing went wrong, and it’s still ending. Jeonghan answers him, “I don’t know.”

 

* * *

 

They meet at the park and it’s like judgement day. Jeonghan is standing under a shady tree by a pond; it seems like so long ago that they shared their first kiss here. Soon, Seungcheol joins him. Their shoulders brush when they stand next to each other. The dumb couples are here again, and this time they’re not one.

Just seeing Seungcheol’s face is hard. He’s so damn beautiful and Jeonghan wants to hate him for making this dumb rule, but can’t.

“What time do we end this?” Jeonghan asks. He isn’t trying to be nice right now, for all the nervousness inside him.

“It’s up to you.” Jeonghan wonders if it’s always up to Seungcheol’s weekly fling to decide when they break up.

The watch on Jeonghan’s wrist reads 3:58. He never wears a watch, but did today. They were supposed to meet here at 4:00, and both showed up early. “4:00, then.” The sooner, the better.

About a hundred seconds. One hundred seconds until Choi Seungcheol slips out of his fingers. Jeonghan is happy. He’s messy and happy about everything that happened this week. He wonders if it’s ever this emotional for Seungcheol, if he can feel what Jeonghan is feeling. So many what-ifs.

They stand in silence, looking at each other as all the hours they spent together fall down around them. The only time they break eye contact is when Seungcheol checks his phone, looks back up with something dark in his eyes. “It’s 4:00.”

Neither of them leaves. Jeonghan was planning to get this over with and head back home, but now he can’t move. It’s over. And in the grand scheme of things, maybe this week-long relationship wasn’t a big deal. But Jeonghan still feels lonelier, empty.

“I’ve had fun this week,” Seungcheol starts, and Jeonghan’s throat already burns with threatening tears, “I’m not going to delete your number. I want to keep being friends with you, okay?”

Those are the words that break him. Because after all of this, after this crazy and wonderful week, Jeonghan thinks being friends with Seungcheol might be as bad as leaving him forever. “No.”

Seungcheol tries to crack a smile and it comes off as nervous. “If you dislike me that much, you should’ve told me earlier.”

“I don’t.” Here it comes. Joshua’s voice bounces around in his head: _If you like him, tell him._ And Jeonghan _likes him_ —likes Seungcheol so much he’s almost obsessed, likes everything about Seungcheol. So Jeonghan closes his eyes. “I don’t dislike you, Seungcheol. I could never dislike you. But I can’t be your friend; I don’t know how.” The tears are so close to falling he can feel them, “I only know how to be your boyfriend.” He’s afraid to open his eyes, see Seungcheol’s face. “And I like you too much to just be your friend anymore. I want to be with you for real.”

That’s when Jeonghan starts crying. The last time he cried was when he lost his first soccer game, three years ago when he believed the soccer team was something people took seriously. So this is _ugly—_ three years of restrained tears, coming out at once. And quietly, Seungcheol pulls him in, wraps strong arms around his shoulders. It’s the most perfect moment, laying his head against Seungcheol’s neck and feeling the warmth of his body. “Don’t date someone else tomorrow,” Jeonghan sobs it into his shirt, “I sound like such a baby, I know, but just picturing you with someone else is gonna—I’ll just be really sad. Ugh, I’m an ugly crier.”

“You’re being slow again,” Seungcheol reaches up, threads comforting fingers through his hair. “How could I date someone else when I like you?”

He clings to Seungcheol like the boy could save his life. “I can’t hear you.”

“Jeonghan,” They pull apart but not entirely, pressing forehead to forehead and there’s no way Jeonghan can avoid his eyes, “You heard me.”

“You’re not just saying it? You really like me, more than any girlfriend?” It’s too good to be true. There has to be a catch.

He notices then that Seungcheol’s crying, too. What a mess. “Yes.”

“And you think I’m handsome and funny and the best person ever?”

Seungcheol smiles—it’s so nice to see his smile again. Jeonghan hasn’t seen much of it recently. “Don’t push it.”

And Seungcheol leans in, meets Jeonghan’s mouth in earnest. A short kiss, but one that quiets every doubt Jeonghan has. This feels _right:_ allowing himself to pour emotion into the kiss, no reservation in savoring every second and looking forward to more. They never stray far, and Jeonghan whispers, “You didn’t say if you’d be my boyfriend.”

“I’ve liked you since Wednesday,” Seungcheol brushes aside a strand of Jeonghan’s bangs, “I’ll be your boyfriend.”

Jeonghan fakes a gasp. “Fuck you, over-achiever—I’ve only liked you since Thursday.”

He laughs, “I’ll take what I can get,” and sneaks a kiss on Jeonghan’s cheek, tears and all.

They walk together out of the park and it’s like nothing has changed. They’ve always been together, since the first day he met Seungcheol. And Jeonghan is excited—he thinks of all the places he’ll take Seungcheol, all the things they’ll do as a couple. A real couple. When he grabs Seungcheol’s hand, the other boy only flinches a little bit. That’s okay; they have plenty of time to conquer the learning curve.

“Wanna go to my place for dinner?” Jeonghan asks, “My aunt’s a good cook.”

He likes it when Seungcheol’s ears get red like that. “I’d love to.”

“And a movie date next Sunday?”

Maybe he’s imagining Seungcheol’s light squeeze on his hand, the warm pressure at his palm, “Well, we can’t waste perfectly good tickets.”

Just in case, he squeezes Seungcheol’s hand back.

 

* * *

 

 Monday morning, Jeonghan wakes up to an unread message:

 

**From:** **♡Seungcheol** **♡**

**Morning sleeping beauty!**

**To: Seungcheol**

**morning u dork**

Mondays are hard—every Monday of Jeonghan’s short life has been hard. But today is different. It feels like a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> imagine jeonghan texting nayoung ‘i stole ur ex-boyfriend lol’ with no explanation  
> The first week of Jeongcheol’s relationship haha I had fun writing this… Also, I now have a far deeper appreciation for ‘Seven Days.’ It’s interesting how some ideas can be communicated effortlessly through film, but not in writing. I tried lol of course it’s just based off the plot and not every exact detail of the film; I have to squeeze some originality in there!  
> Would anyone be interested in more fics based off of BL series/films? ‘Customized Companion’ is my favorite rn and I want to write something based off of that someday (or if you want bl suggestions just let me know ;) haha) Side note, my freshman English class is all about dissecting adaptations, so think of this as my adaptation of ‘Seven Days.’ Thanks a bunch for reading!
> 
> [tumblr](http://melecs.tumblr.com/) // [twitter](https://twitter.com/melecslol) // [aff](http://www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view_author_stories/1131410/L)


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